Kumdo is equivalent to Kendo, it's the same kanji, they use the same rules, they compete in the same championships... hell the Koreans won the last WKC (men's team). You may be thinking of something else.

No i am thinking about kumdo. i thought i would have to go to toronto for the summer and the closest dojo was a kumdo dojo so i asked Ichimura-sensei(my main one). he said there is a major difference in philosophy and spirit. For example in kendo for a hit to qualify as a point in shiai it has to have spirit and intent. For kumdo if it lightly taps the men it counts.

Quote:

Nathan Gidney wrote:

All the kumdo I've seen has involved live blades and tameshigiri. Nothing like kendo. Was I seeing something else?

that would probably a koryu (iai/battojutsu) kendo is a shinai only discipline with bokken for kendo kata.